US2015354889A1PendingUtilityA1

Dryer Configured to Dry Agricultural Products and Associated Method

44
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 9, 2011Filed: Jun 5, 2012Published: Dec 10, 2015
Est. expiryJun 9, 2031(~4.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James R. Hunter
F26B 3/02F26B 9/063
44
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

A dryer configured to dry agricultural or non-agricultural products is provided. The dryer may include a unitary source plenum that supplies air to compartments in which products are contained. Plenum conditioners may condition the air in the unitary source plenum through, for example, controlling the humidity, temperature, and flow rate of the air. Compartment conditioners may adjust the conditions of the air in each of the compartments. Thereby air may be efficiently pre-conditioned in the unitary source plenum, and then the conditions of the air may be adjusted to optimize drying of products in each of the compartments. Related methods are also provided.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A dryer configured to dry a plurality of agricultural products, the dryer comprising:
 a plurality of compartments configured to contain the agricultural products;   one or more fans configured to produce a flow of an air;   a unitary source plenum configured to receive the air and selectively supply the air to each of the compartments;   one or more plenum conditioners configured to control one or more conditions of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments; and   a plurality of compartment conditioners configured to respectively adjust one or more of the conditions of the air in each of the compartments.   
     
     
         2 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum conditioners comprise a heater and the one of the conditions controlled by the heater comprises a temperature of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments. 
     
     
         3 . The dryer of  claim 2 , wherein the heater is configured to increase the temperature of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments to a minimum desired temperature for the compartments. 
     
     
         4 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum conditioners comprise a humidity control unit and the one of the conditions controlled by the humidity control unit comprises a specific humidity of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments. 
     
     
         5 . The dryer of  claim 4 , wherein the humidity control unit is configured to reduce the specific humidity to a desired plenum humidity. 
     
     
         6 . The dryer of  claim 4 , wherein the humidity control unit is configured to increase the specific humidity to a desired plenum humidity. 
     
     
         7 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment conditioners comprise a plurality of compartment flow controllers and the one of the conditions adjusted by the compartment flow controllers comprises a flow rate of the air into each of the compartments. 
     
     
         8 . The dryer of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of compartment flow sensors configured to detect a speed of the air supplied to each of the compartments. 
     
     
         9 . The dryer of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of compartment pressure sensors configured to detect a pressure drop associated with each of the compartments. 
     
     
         10 . The dryer of  claim 9 , wherein the compartment flow controllers are configured to adjust the flow rate based at least in part on a bed depth of the agricultural products in each of the compartments. 
     
     
         11 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment conditioners comprise a plurality of temperature controllers and the one of the conditions adjusted by the temperature controllers comprises a temperature of the air in each of the compartments. 
     
     
         12 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum conditioners comprise a plenum flow controller and the one of the conditions controlled by the plenum flow controller comprises a flow rate of the air in the unitary source plenum. 
     
     
         13 . The dryer of  claim 12 , further comprising a plenum flow sensor configured to detect a speed of the air in the unitary source plenum. 
     
     
         14 . The dryer of  claim 12 , further comprising a plenum pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the air in the unitary source plenum. 
     
     
         15 . A method for drying a plurality of agricultural products, comprising:
 containing the agricultural products in a plurality of compartments;   producing a flow of an air with one or more fans;   selectively directing the air through a unitary source plenum to each of the compartments;   controlling one or more conditions of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments with one or more plenum conditioners; and   respectively adjusting one or more of the conditions of the air in each of the compartments with a plurality of compartment conditioners.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the conditions of the air in the unitary source plenum comprises controlling a temperature of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments with a heater. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein controlling the temperature of the air in the unitary source plenum comprises heating the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments to a minimum desired temperature for the compartments. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the conditions of the air in the unitary source plenum comprises controlling a specific humidity of the air in the unitary source plenum and received by the compartments with a humidity control unit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein controlling the specific humidity comprises reducing the specific humidity to a desired plenum humidity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein controlling the specific humidity comprises increasing the specific humidity to a desired plenum humidity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adjusting the conditions of the air in each of the compartments comprises adjusting a flow rate of the air into each of the compartments with a plurality of compartment flow controllers. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising detecting a speed of the air through each of the compartments with a plurality of compartment flow sensors. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising detecting a pressure drop associated with each of the compartments with a plurality of compartment pressure sensors. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein adjusting the flow rate comprises adjusting the compartment flow controllers based at least in part on a bed depth of the agricultural products in each of the compartments. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adjusting the conditions of the air in each of the compartments comprises adjusting a temperature of the air in each of the compartments with a plurality of temperature controllers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the conditions of the air in the unitary source plenum comprises controlling a flow rate of the air in the unitary source plenum with a plenum flow controller. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising detecting a speed of the air in the unitary source plenum with a plenum flow sensor. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising detecting a pressure of the air in the unitary source plenum with a plenum pressure sensor.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2015354889A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.